Former Olympian Davey Hearn denies vandalism after arrest at Washington Reflecting Pool
A 67‑year‑old former Olympic slalom canoeist was detained by United States Park Police and National Guard troops on the edge of the Reflecting Pool in Washington, D.C., after an alleged contact with the pool’s newly painted floor. Hearn says he removed his cycling glove to touch a strip of rubbery material that had delaminated from the bottom of the pool, but claims the police stopped him before he could damage anything.
He declined to use vandal, rip or tear language and insists the paint remained unchanged. Hearn refers to his detention as an arbitrary, capricious prosecution and says he was held for around five hours with no access to a phone. The $13‑million renovation of the two‑mile lake, which President Donald Trump has championed as part of his beautification agenda ahead of the country’s 250th birthday, has been plagued by leaks, algae and pigment peel‑off, sparking repeated media coverage.
After the arrest, Trump posted on Truth Social that Park Police had “arrested multiple individuals for vandalizing our Nation’s magnificent Reflecting Pool”, repeating claims that vandals poured corrosive chemicals and damaged the lawn with knives. He also said repairs would likely require draining part of the water and gave an estimate that the algae had been reduced by 75% but it was still unresolved. US Park Police has not weighed in on the incident, while Hearn was given a misdemeanor charge for destruction of government property.
Hearn, a champion canoeist who competed in three Olympics and won two world titles, argues that the paint on the pool body was not altered, citing a photo of peeling paint taken minutes before his arrest. He also notes that a national news presenter had touched the material during a report, implying that his own action, if any, was minor. Hearn expressed that the pool remains a beautiful reflective surface when calm, independent of its colour or algae.
Reports also show workers vacuuming green algae from the pool and pumps removing green‑water through a hose, illustrating ongoing maintenance and the controversy over the quality of the new paint used in the refurbishment. The pictures and commentary highlight the nuanced debate on preservation, urban maintenance and law enforcement over historic sites.
